


Fish Pas

by Fox_Salz



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Abusive Parents, Daddy Issues, Earth C (Homestuck), First Dates, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Post-Canon, but not that Earth C
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:01:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22795960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fox_Salz/pseuds/Fox_Salz
Summary: It's time for that date Eridan agreed to in the dreambubbles. It goes a lot different than Cronus imagined.
Relationships: Cronus Ampora/Eridan Ampora
Comments: 5
Kudos: 23





	Fish Pas

**Author's Note:**

> My other piece for the [Coolscar Zine](https://coolscar-zine.tumblr.com/post/190890609618/thats-right-its-coolscar-time-coolscar-from). You should go check it out.

Cronus hasn’t been able to stop grinning for hours now. Days, even. It’s been a permanent fixture on his face since Eridan and he set up an official date.

A lot had happened after the first time Eridan had agreed to give him a chance. The chaotic fight with LE, suddenly being spit out onto a new planet alive, getting situated, yadda yadda yadda. Background stuff that didn’t matter to the long run—tonight. They’d sort of lost contact, then by a random encounter ran into each other again at a music store, and Cronus had brought up that promised date. So Eridan had agreed again—less reluctantly, Cronus noted—and here they are.

Here being some really nice restaurant because Cronus is going to _impress_.

It’s a troll/human fusion place, and Cronus watches Eridan look around carefully as they walk in then get quickly ushered to the table he had reserved. Cronus rushes to pull out Eridan’s chair, which he seems both surprised and pleased by. Score!

Taking the seat across from him, Cronus leans forward eagerly a moment before realizing he needs to play it cool. He picks up a menu instead, saying, “This is a real jivwe place, Eridan. You’ll lovwe it, trust me.”

“That sounds like a terrible idea, but I’m already here.”

“Heh, ouch.”

Fins wiggling excitedly, he glances over the top of his menu as Eridan reaches for his own. Already knowing what he wants, he just watches as Eridan scans the selection.

“Havve you eaten here before? Is it actually edible?”

“Vwould I take you someplace that vwasn’t up to your standards?”

He just gives Cronus a look.

“They’vwe got a lot of great stuff, chief, don’t you vworry. There’s this really good fish dish drizzled vwith this mix of grubsauce and human styled sauce.”

Eridan sort of snorts but Cronus won’t let that derision deter him. He flips through the menu, trying to find the perfect dish to wow him. Eventually he comes up on a prime filet soaked in traditional Alternian style juices, and eagerly turns the menu around to show him, delighting in the small but still perceptible flash of interest across his (incredibly cute) face.

Another point to Cronus!

The human waiter comes by and Cronus orders for the both of them. Then Eridan demands their finest wine—which also happens to be their most expensive, naturally. Damn he’s classy.

After the waiter leaves Cronus and Eridan turn to each other. Neither says anything. It gets a little awkward. Cronus has to resist the urge to fiddle with the tablecloth, wishing he had his cigarette to mess with instead; from experience he knows that this place doesn’t allow them even though he’s not smoking, and besides it would just make him look like a loser who can’t sit still. Which may be the truth, but Eridan doesn’t have to realize that until he’s already been hooked.

“So vwhat’s newv for you?” he tries, internally cringing at that weak ass attempt at conversation.

Sure enough, Eridan leans back in his chair and crosses his arms, face contorting into a sneer. Cronus doesn’t necessarily think it’s directed at him, though. Just a general sneer at existence.

“The only neww thing in my life is the loww I’vve sunk to.”

“Vwell I’m glad you sunk to my levwel.”

Cronus tosses him a wink and for a second Eridan looks like he doesn’t know how to respond, a fish tossed onto land. Then he shakes his head, little swirl of hair falling across his forehead.

“Do you evven listen to yourself? Disgraceful.”

“Ha, nowv you’re just sounding like my lusus.”

Wow, what an uncool thing to say! Way to go, Cronus!

Thankfully he’s saved from his faux pas by the waiter returning with the wine. He pours a cup for either of them then waits to make sure it’s up to standards. Since all wine tastes the same to him, Cronus idly sips from his cup as he waits for Eridan’s opinion. For a split second pleasure crosses his face before he gets control of himself, setting the glass back down.

“I suppose this is servviceable enough,” he declares, shooing the waiter off.

“Vwhat did I tell you? Joint ain’t half bad, right?”

“I’ll admit it’s not the wworst place I’vve ended up on this neww planet.”

“That’s the spirit!”

Eridan gives a dark snort, looking away from him. One claw plucks at his sleeve in a way that makes Cronus thinks he doesn’t realize he’s doing it.

“Sounds like you’re embracin’ your aspect more than I evver did.”

“Vway I figure, after evwerything vwe had to deal vwith, vwe deservwe some good things for once. A little hope.”

Eridan glances back at him from the corner of his eyes, unsure. His fins flick downwards morosely, and it tugs at Cronus’ pump biscuit strings as his fins give a little flick of their own.

“Wwhat if wwe did awwful things in the game? Or before. Wwould wwe still deservve better?”

“Eridan, my vwhole friend group vwas filled vwith complete assholes vwith maybe one exception. All of them sucked. Cheating on each other, casteism they refused to admit to, double standards like vwhoa. Literal fucking mind control. And do you knowv vwhere evwery single one of them is right nowv?”

Enraptured, Eridan shakes his head.

“Havwing great newv beginnings. So, yeah, vwe deservwe that too.”

Eridan has turned all the way back to Cronus now, looking quite thoughtful. Slowly he nods, fins perking up. Holy shit, Cronus actually made his date feel _better_? Biggest score yet!

“You knoww, Cro, you’re absolutely right. Plenty of my friends did terrible shit, too, shit that evveryone else has just forgivven them for! Fuck it, wwe deservve to be happy, too.”

“Exactly. Nowv you’re embracing hope.”

“Wwell, I was prince class, all about destroyin’. I probably shouldn’t embrace that again.”

“Nah, that’s vwhat the game vwanted from you, right? You don’t gotta listen to vwhat the game vwants nowv. You’re allowved to _feel_ hope and not destroy it.”

“Wwoww, Cro, you’re surprisingly insightful. And here I thought you’d be either pushy—or wworse—borin’.”

“I am a many faceted troll.” He picks up his glass and holds it across the table. “Howv about a toast?”

Lips curving up in an almost smile, Eridan mimics him.

“Cheers! Fuck the game and fuck evweryone but us! Or like, also fuck us, depending on howv you look at it and howv you feel later.”

“You started off strong, at least, but I’ll alloww it. To us.”

They clang their glasses together and the sound is so satisfying as it rings in Cronus’ auditory clots. Both end up downing the rest of their wine and he pours them some more. He can’t believe how good this date is going! That paranoid part of his pan is wondering when the other shoe is gonna drop and Eridan will be done with him. After that pep talk, though, he’s more determined than ever to hold onto hope.

Conversation actually goes way more smoothly from that point. They get onto all sorts of topics from Eridan’s endeavors in different hobbies to Cronus’ music, something Eridan actually seems interested in and doesn’t make him shut up about. Cronus is absolutely on cloud nine by the time their food arrives. Eating does kinda hinder talking, of course, Cronus utilizing the manners his lusus instilled in him in a rare showing.

Eridan can’t hide how much he’s enjoying the food, even if he’s not saying it. It’s absolutely delightful to watch his face scrunch up in culinary glee, fins flicking giddily. Shit, Cronus is almost surprised the guy‘s bioluminescence hasn’t kicked in, he seems to like it that much. At this point his score is so high it’s off the board.

When they’re done Cronus orders them dessert because that’s what you do on dates even if you’re both kinda full. At least, that’s what he’s heard from probably reliable sources and seen in plenty of movies. You gotta get dessert.

While they’re waiting for it to arrive Cronus wracks his brain for something to say. The night is going so great, and he doesn’t want it to peter out now just because he can’t think of an engaging topic. It doesn’t help that Eridan is just watching him expectantly, and Cronus realizes he’s been fiddling with his napkin. Heat crawling up his neck, Cronus folds his hands on the table in front of him and tries to play it cool.

“So, been to a beach lately? I livwe near one if you vwanna vwisit. Or maybe vwe can head there after dinner?”

Cronus had meant to sound way smoother and less desperate, whoops. It‘s out there, now, and he just has to remember that spiel from earlier about hope.

Thankfully Eridan actually looks like he’s considering it. Cronus’ fins perk up as he speaks.

“Truthfully I havven’t for a wwhile. I livved near the beach on Alternia. Besides land dwwellers bein’ stinkin’ awwful it wwas fantastic.”

Eagerly Cronus leans forward, face lighting up.

“Perfect! Then you should absolutely come back to my hivwe, givwe in to nostalgia a little. It’ll be even better since neither of our lusii are there.”

Eridan gets a sort of sad, sort of wistful look on his face. The ambiguity shoots dread through Cronus’ pusher. Damn it, never mention the lusus, what the hell is wrong with him? He hurriedly tries to save face, which has worked for Cronus exactly never but it’s all he has.

“Ha, it’s pretty relievwing vwe don’t gotta deal vwith them anymore, huh?”

“Wwhat do you mean?”

Cronus gives a nervous shrug, desperately wishing he hadn’t brought up their alternate universe shared lusus to begin with, or continued talking about him. But what are you gonna do? Besides double down and cross your fingers you’re not digging your own grave.

“I mean, nowv vwe aren’t dealing vwith all their nagging and crushing disappointment in all our numerous failures, right? No one to tell us vwe’re a shame to our vwhole caste, or to stop playing the music I like because it’s not proper for a sea dwveller and it’s just noise anywvay, or that I should start making appropriately colored friends before snorting and saying I’m more cullable than most of the vwarm hues I hang vwith.”

Eridan is just staring at him from across the table, mouth agape. Cronus wonders how much wine he’d need to drown in. Heh, a drowned sea dweller. Now that would be poetically ironic and one last disappointment to his long dead lusus.

Instead he just finishes his glass before clanging it loudly against the table, wincing at the sound.

“Cro, wwhat the fuck?”

“You probably didn’t get the music part, huh? Vwhatevwer you vwere into, though, I’m sure he hated.”

Cronus gives a nervous laugh that Eridan doesn’t mimic.

“My lusus wwas nevver like that. Wwe wwould hunt together all the time. He alwways said howw proud he wwas of me, and howw I wwas a top tier troll.”

“Ha, okay, that’s cool. The vwhole being proud bit sounds fake, but hey.”

“My lusus wwas always my biggest fan, actually.”

Cronus stares at his empty wine glass, idly wondering why his pusher is beating so fast and why his chest feels heavy. Ha! It’s almost like when his lusus would yell at him. Talk about nostalgia.

Drumming his fingertips on the table Cronus comments, “No no, I believwe you, chief. Pretty neat. Can’t relate, but pretty neat.”

Ah, there’s that awkward silence Cronus was dreading yet expecting. His score is off the chart again but in the opposite direction now—plummeted right to the ground. Sort of where he is, six feet under. This second life was great while it lasted but he’s blown it and there’s no coming back. Time to just—

“Wwell it sounds like your lusus wwas an asshole. Good riddance. If he couldn’t appreciate the Ampora magnificence then he obvviously didn’t deservve you.”

“That’s a nice sentiment, chief, but I get that I’m sort of difficult to like. Or tolerate. Or in some cases remember. I’m like that joke that goes on for vway too long.”

Cronus glances back over at Eridan as he snorts. He’s leaning back in his seat, arms crossed with a haughty air about him. For a moment Cronus fears that he’s finally revealed how much better off Eridan would be without him. Desperately he’s wracking his mind on how to cling on, maybe earn enough pity that the guy will still stick around.

“Wwell that’s certainly different than all that talk about hope and deservving better. I’m starting to think you wwere just spoutin’ somethin’ to try and coddle my feelings.”

“Hey, I can still be hopeful and an unlovwable piece of garbage. They’re not mutually exclusivwe.”

Eridan gives an over exaggerated roll of his eyes, and Cronus starts realizing what he’s doing.

“Your friends are shitty and they’re somehoww not yet social pariahs, so a course you’re not either. Frankly from wwhat I’vve seen you’vve got wway more to offer than half a them at least. “

Grinning, fins flicking, Cronus asks, “You really think so?”

“You’re certainly not the wworst. So no use givving a good Ampora mope wwhen it’s not needed. Unless we’re moping at howw sloww our desserts are gettin’ to us. They better be here soon because wwhen wwe’re done I expect you to escort me back to your hivve.”

Cronus almost repeats _really_ before catching himself. Instead he nods adamantly and assures, “You got it, babe. Vwhatevwer you vwant.”

As if on cue the waiter finally appears with dessert, and as Cronus watches Eridan give the chocolate mousse an experimental taste, tongue darting out adorably, he actually starts to feel truly good about how things are going.


End file.
